Bottle register



Patented Apr. 7, i953 BOTTLE REGISTER Frank L. Thompson, Jamaica, andJohn T. Logue, St. Albans, N. Y.

Application January 13, 1950, Serial No. 138,288

(Cl. 23S-94) 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in bottle registers ordevices to eiect a registration for checking the number of times that aportion of a liquid contained in a bottle has been poured therefrom.Such a register or device is of particular value for use with bottlescontaining an expensive beverage such as a liquor. vSaid registrationdevice may include means for preventing the discharge of a beverage fromthe bottle unless a part of the registration device is operated manuallyto enable pouring of the beverage from the bottle. When the part thusoperated is released, the register is operated one step and the bottleoutlet is closed so that no more of the beverage can be poured until thebottle outlet is again opened. It will be understood that the device ofthe present invention may be used, to indicate the number of times thatliquid is poured from a bottle without regard to the exact quantitypoured.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel andadvantageous device of the general character specified.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageousdevice of the general character specied wherein the outer end of thedischarge passage is normally closed and may be opened manually as partof the registering operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the generalcharacter specied which is simple in construction and eiective inoperation, and can be manufactured economically.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple andcompact device, of the general character specified, wherein uponoperation of a controlling member, a normally closed outlet will beopened to permit pouring of liquid from the bottle to which it isattached and upon release of said control member, said outlet Will againbe closed and the register will be advanced one step.

Devices of this kind for registering the number of times liquid ispoured from a bottle or the like furnish a check upon the personsdispensing the liquid and to a certain extent register the manipulationof bottled liquids or liquors that are sold in small quantities. Thedevice of the present invention is of particular value in situationswherein a full bottle of liquor is gradually emptied in small quantitiesto a customary amount at each pouring. A full bottle is expected toproduce an average number of drinks or portions of the liquid and tocontrol the average amount of liquid discharged at each pouring.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear upon consideration ofthe following detailed description and of the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a section taken along the line I-I o! Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of illustrated embodiment of the inventionwith the neck of an associated bottle shown in sections; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4--4 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, a registering device It includes a tubularpart I I preferably mounted in a stopper or cork I2 adapted to t intothe neck I3 of a bottle I4 or the like. Liquid or a beverage in thebottle may be poured from the bottle through a spout I5 including a ductI6 at one side of the interior of tubular part iI and, at the outer endof said duct I6, a straight cylindrical branch I'I' extending laterallyand outwardly in a convenient direction for pouring liquid therefrom. Atthe side of duct I '5, opposite branch I'l, there is a duct I8 whichconnects with the interior of a casing le containing a rotaryregistering member or wheel 2G.

At the inner end of spout branch I'I there is a Wall 2I substantiallyperpendicular `to the axis of branch Il and provided at its center witha bearing opening to receive an axial plunger or rod 22. This rod 22extends downwardly and away from wall 2l until it passes through abearing 23 in the casing I9. For a reason to be brought out hereinafter,it is important to prevent turning of rod 22 about its axis. To thisend, the interior of the bearing 23 may be of square cross section Fig.4 to receive a part 24 of rod 22 which is of square cross section. Atthe outer end of rod or plunger 22, there is a valve or valve member 25which is normally held yieldably against the outer end of the spout orbranch I'l thereof to provide a seal against discharge of the liquid. Tothis end the plunger 22 is urged inwardly by spring means, preferably inthe form of a helical spring 21 interposed between wall 2| and a stop 28on said plunger 22. Obviously rod 22 constitutes a valve stem.

To shift the valve device 25 to open position, the plunger 22 may beprovided at its rear end with a laterally extending iinger 2Ssubstantially perpendicular to the plunger proper. By pressing on finger29, the rod 22 may be moved to open valve 25, the movement of Which islimited in a suitable manner as by engagement of finger 29 against theouter end of bearing 22. It should be noted that the position of valve25 at the outer end of the spout would render it diicult to pourunsuitable liquor into the bottle. The return movements of rod 22produced by spring 2'! are utilized to produce step-by-step movements ofsaid rotary member 2D supported between opposite sides of said casing bypivotal means 3l).

Said rotary ymember 2U is illustrated as provided at its circumferencewith ratchet teeth 3! engageable by a pawl 32 on rod 22, said pawl beingpreferably in the form of a leaf spring attached to said rod. The reasonfor holding said rod 22 against turning around its axis becomes evident,in that if such an arrangement were not made, the -pawl 32 would'not ingeneral remain in position to engage teeth 3| to shift the ratchet wheelor member 2E).

The rod 22 and pawl 32 are in substantially the same plane as wheel 20,thus making it possible to have the opposite walls of casing I9substantially flat and close together. This arrangement also makes iteasy to'provi-de a port or peep hole 33 through which one can read anumber of a series arranged in la circle or annulus 34 on one face ofwheel 2t and adjacent its periphery. Said numbers are of course spacedat distances corresponding to the distances between thetips of teeth 3I.

Inasmuch as theregister wheel 'or member is turned in counter-clockwisedirection `(Fig. 1) by pawl 32, the numbers 'arranged in annulus Se mustbe arranged in clockwise order. A'pawl 35 may be provided to preventbackward movement of member 2B when pawl 32 is drawn back across teeth 3I. Y

Said peep hole or port 33 also serves to complete a connection from theopen air through the casing I9 and duct i8 to the interior of the bottleI4, thus assuring free flow of liquid when poured from the bottle Idafter opening valve 25.

The registering obtained by means of said device Iii Vmay besupplemented by keeping a separate record on a sheet provided with aplurality of columns-one column being reserved for the name of the'brand of liquor, a second column to receive indications recording thecondition at the time of starting to dispense drinks, a third column toreceive indications showing the iinal condition of the register at theend of the dispensing period anda fourth column to receive theindications of the number of portions or drinks ldispensed from thebottles during the ksale period of the day.

By virtue of the varrangement and shape of the parts, it is possible, toconstruct a very compact device wherein the walls at the opposite sidesof rotary member 2t are nat and close together. Such 'fiat walls can beused, if desired, Vfor advertising'purposes.

'It `should vbe lunderstood that `various changes can be made and thatcertain parts may be used without others, without departing from thetrue scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A registering device for application to the neck of a bottle,comprising a spout with an inlet portion and a laterally inclinedstraight outlet portion, said inlet portion being coaxial with a .bottleneck to which itis applied, a valve movable axially of said outletportion to open and close the outer end of said outlet, a registercomprising a ratchet wheel and a casing therefor at the opposite side ofsaid inlet portion from said outlet portion, va plunger connected tosaid valve to reciprocate the same, said plunger passing through theregister casing, and means including a leaf spring pawl connected tosaid plunger and pressing against said ratchet wheel to operate the sameupon movement of said plunger in one direction, and a spring engagingsaid spout and said plunger to close said valve.

2. A registering device adapted for application to the neck of a bottle,comprising a spout with an inletportion coaxial with said neck when saiddevice is applied thereto and adapted to receive liquid 'from the bottleand a laterally and forwardly inclined straight outlet portion of whichthe outer end constitutes a valve seat, a valve to cooperate with saidseat, Aa'valve stem in said outlet portion and connected to said 'valveto open and close the same, said valve stem extending `through the rearwall of said Vinlet portion, Spring means urging said stem rearwardly toclose the valve, a rearwardly directed pawl on said stem at the rear ofsaid spout, and a rotary member at the rear of said inlet passage in theplane of said valve stem and pawl and having ratchet teeth on itsperiphery for `engagement by said pawl on rearward movement of saidvalve stem to produce step .by step movement of said rotary member, andnumbers arranged .in a circle on said rotary member at intervalscorresponding to the spacing of said teeth.

FRANK L. THOMPSON. JOHN T. LOGUE.

.REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Y Date 295,158 Welch June y18, 1878327,364 WeitZel Sept. 29, 1885 2,400,328 Zehring May 14, 1946 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date A, 42,169 Austria May 10, 1.910 88,677.Austria June v1l), ,11922

